Posted by on Saturday, May 12, 2012,
In :
This and That
Happy May, Hans3Teers! This May has been a busy month so far: I graduated college, had a family reunion, I'm planning a wedding and working on getting ready for a move! It's been great so far, and I'm looking forward to the future. But enough about me...let's talk shop!
Rolling back from WV, I hit another millennial increment -- 22,000 miles. I've had Barney almost 2 years now, and I've clocked about 18,000 during that time. That's a-ok by me, as I look forward to hanging onto my truck... Continue reading ...
I took the truck to the new automated car wash in the area a week and change ago, and, while it did do a great job of cleaning the road gunk off of Barney, it washed with the power of a thousand rainstorms and broke my OEM antenna off at the base. Bummer.
Long story short, I replaced it with a much shorter 14" AntennaX unit. So far, it seems to work just as well as the OEM 36" antenna. That's it, I guess. Just a radio antenna. woot woot!
Seriously, that's it. Just an antenna. Now scram...
A few weeks back I experimented with some Plasti-Dip on my Alpha badge and wanted to make sure the stuff was durable before I committed to doing all the others. My verdict: This stuff is awesome. I've been through rain, dirt, and an incredibly powerful automatic wash and it still looks like it did the first day.
How powerful was the carwash? you say? Well, powerful enough to break my radio antenna off a the base. Yup. Not pumped about that one. I already went ahead and ordered a repl... Continue reading ...
Howdy hey, Hans3Teers! Today was my official last day of classes! My, how the years have flown by! Seems like just yesterday I was staring all starry-eyed towards the hallowed halls of my academic institution and...oh whatever, you're not here to hear that garbage! Let's talk turkey.
You want a picture of the skidplate, and I want to show you one. So take it in, ladies and gentlemen -- I present to you the Hans3T/Nascar Jim modified skidplate.
Posted by on Saturday, April 7, 2012,
In :
This and That
With the school year, and subsequently my academic career, winding down, the amount of school work I've been doing has been inversely related. This pitty-party of academic-egregiousness has not kept me completely out of time to work on the truck. Today, with my tried-and-true helper, Nascar Jim, we were able to utilize his bottomless truck box of tools to get my replacement skidplate onto Barney.
I'm not sure if I covered this in any of the posts on the lifting of my truck, but the OEM front... Continue reading ...
Posted by Hans Mertens on Tuesday, March 27, 2012,
In :
Tech/Mods/Installs
Well, Plast-Dip, that is. Yes, the craze sweeping the automotive modifiers around the states has finally sunk its teeth into Barney's behind...quite literally. My obnoxiously chrome-y Alpha badge has been too shiny for my taste since day one. After seeing some other users' finished products, I decided to give Plasti-Dip a shot. I gotta say, I was very nervous straight-shooting "paint" onto my truck. But this stuff is really unique -- it's like shooting latex in a can. At first, it's wet... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Tuesday, March 20, 2012,
In :
This and That
Howdy Hans3Teers! Been a while, eh? I tell you what, senior year is not as easy as the movies make it out to be! ;-)
Anywho, I feel like this should definitely have happened by now, but I was finally able to find a stock H3 to park next to to compare the lifted T versus an OEM height 3. Here you have it:
There isn't too much else to say...I think the photos speak for themselves. I think there is a slight difference.
Sheesh, I feel like the site is a lover scorned right now -- I haven't given it any attention in over a month! I'm a terrible blogger! Oh, the shame!
In all seriousness though, it was a busy month of getting things right with Barney. And it's still not 100% done. So, after doing some research and checking-out the lifted rigs of other H3 guys, I came to the unfortunate realization that Barney was not properly sized during his initial visit. I called the garage and their diagnosis was that ... Continue reading ...
After holding onto boxes of lift kit pieces for weeks and months and...okay, well not years, but...a long time...Barney has finally got a lift on! And which one? C'mon, you had ought to know by now -- I announced it on H4O earlier this week! I chose a Tuff Country 4" suspension lift. To be completely specific, the kit I bought was actually a leftover XD-Series Suspension Lift, a re-badged TC lift, if you will.
Unbeknownst to me, XD and TC partnered at one point, but the junction failed to... Continue reading ...
Posted by Hans Mertens on Saturday, January 21, 2012,
In :
Tech/Mods/Installs
I decided last night, with snow and freezing rain falling outside, that it would be a good time to finally start a "build thread" on my truck over on H4O. A build thread, for those unfamiliar with forum lingo, is a comment thread chronicling the various modifications I have performed on my H3T, complete with commentary and photos.
You may be asking yourself, Isn't that what this website is for? In short, yes! Yes, absolutely -- however, not everyone cares about reading some overzealous ki... Continue reading ...
On my 10-hour-absolute-delight of a drive back down to campus yesterday, I rolled over the big 20k mark. It was initially my plan to snap a photo at exactly 20k, but I had been on the road about 4 hours at that point and it was only 9am. Needless to say, I was in the zone, chief. Regardless, once I snapped back to reality, I captured a photo of what I thought was the next most acceptable slightly-over-20k odometer reading to share with you all my future self when I read this six months fro... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Monday, January 9, 2012,
In :
This and That
My buddy, alias Nacho over on H4O, is sort of a Photoshop guru. There's been a sort of fad floating around on the forum where, slowly but surely, more and more people are changing their username avatars to microscopic mini-me's of their full-sized Hummers. Upset that I was missing a trend (unlike the whole Jersey Shore / Ed Hardy thing) I broadly inquired who was crafting these delightful digitized doppelgängers. Within a day of posting, Nacho put his muenster in motion, his gouda in gear... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Thursday, December 29, 2011,
In :
This and That
Well, a U-Haul anyways. My family is in the process of relocating, and last week we needed the trailer to haul a heavy dose of furniture and nick-knacks. (Soo many nick-knacks...) This is the first time I've ever hauled anything, let alone with the Hummer, so it was a bit exciting at first. The guy at the U-Haul place probably thought I was crazy to be taking pictures of my truck in their parking lot with an empty trailer behind it. The 5.3 hauled the trailer without a hiccup, however my...
Posted by on Thursday, December 1, 2011,
In :
Hans3T
Well, not much has gone on in the past few weeks, so I decided to freshen the site up some. The banner has been updated to include a more recent photograph of Barney that I did a little Photoshop work on, and I added some more photos to my Flickr so that they show up on the photos page here on Hans3T.
That's all I've got for now. I'll bet you're glad you checked... Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Continue reading ...
Saturday's Rausch Creek Run was a great success. We ended up heading out with four trucks, which was the perfect number for exploring tons of trail at the park. We had two H3Ts, an H3 and a 4" Rancho-lifted H3 (which belongs to the owner of THORparts). The run could not have been on a nicer fall day - we had cool weather, bright sun and blue skies above the rocky and muddy terrain of RC.
.
None of my group shots turned out too picturesque...Kflips' H3T lost its breaks and I don't blame ...
Tomorrow afternoon Hans3T is off to meet with a small group of H4O members at Rausch Creek in Tremont, PA. Tomorrow night will involve a general meet 'n greet, followed by a full day of wheeling on Saturday. The weather forecast is promising, the trucks are all stable, and the group looks well-prepared for a day of fun.
I will do my best to take plenty of photos and some video as well. Which reminds me...should probably charge my cameras...good call. So, keep your eyes peeled for a post-ru... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Thursday, November 10, 2011,
In :
This and That
With the weather cooling down, I have found that it is the time of year when the temperature dial can comfortably be leaning towards the red dot side. Last week, however, I noticed an unusually loud whining noise coming from what sounded like the passenger side. This, paired with the improperly re-installed door speaker from the last dealership visit, was enough irritating noise to warrant a call to my local Caddy/Buick/GMC dealer for a warranty claim.
Howdy-hey, Hans3Teers! I am a bit bored this evening, and so I thought I would post up a fun little "project" I did about two weeks ago and had forgotten to post -- my custom "vanity plate". I started with a blank license plate (complements of a commuter outreach program on campus) and then got a package of vinyl letters at WallyWorld for a couple bucks. I then hand-laid the letters to read the following:
Posted by on Saturday, October 29, 2011,
In :
This and That
Phew, it's been a while! October has been insanely busy for me as a student -- mid-terms, homecoming, parties (just kidding, Mommy!), studying and so on -- which has left me with either little time or little energy to blog about my truck. What's wrong with this world?! But alas, the month has been busy but I still managed to snap a few photographs along the way, which I am going to share with you now.
Well, actually, the only one I'm finding from the month right now is this lovely illustr... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Sunday, October 2, 2011,
In :
This and That
This weekend some of my fraternity brothers and I ventured into the dense West Virginia wilderness for some copious amounts of beer rest and relaxation before our mid-term week. The drive to the campsite was one of the most winding, narrow, washed-out, nauseating journeys of Barney-and-my's driving career, but the end result was quite the opposite.
Bad-assery is a standard feature on the 2009 H3T Alpha.
Once settled in the wild, I made the bed of the T into a very welcoming sleeping qua... Continue reading ...
A couple of weeks back I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a lightly used set of E&G Classics H3T fender flares. The asking price was far less than they retail for, so I felt comfortable picking them up. I plan on upgrading to 35" tires at some point, and right now even the 33" tires spray junk all over the side of the truck -- so I am hoping that will cut that back some. Today was a picturesque fall day -- clear and sunny, about 64 degrees -- just gorgeous. I decided to give Barney a ...
Posted by on Sunday, September 4, 2011,
In :
This and That
My goodness! Have two weeks really elapsed without me bantering you all about my truck?! I cannot believe I would let that happen! Allow me to fill you in on the latest:
I put some gas in the truck.
I washed my windshield at the gas station. (Bug splatter, you know...)
I listened to some music on my booming system.
I put some more gas in the truck.
Yup, it has been some a really crucial time here at Hans3T... *...chirp....chirp...*
On a serious note, however, I have been easing my way back ... Continue reading ...
One of the more frequently asked questions I have come
across with regard to the H3T is how to make a subwoofer fit in the
non-existent cabin space.Heck, I’ve asked it myself.For a long time, I thought it impossible.Well, thanks to some pioneers who have paved
the way for this project, today I am proud to post this write-up on installing
a pair of subwoofers into the H3T.
The following is a (more or less) step by step process for
installing a pair of Sound Ordnance B-8PT powered subw...
Posted by Hans Mertens on Tuesday, August 16, 2011,
In :
This and That
Hey there...I know it's been a while, but with school growing nearer, and my to-do list growing longer, I haven't had a ton of free time to play on the interwebz. Regardless, I thought I'd throw a quick update out here.
Today I went for the final round of warranty work...so I thought. They got my new side view mirror on, and it works like a charm. So that is good. Unfortunately, when the tech replaced my front passenger side speaker last time, he did something to my door panel and it rattl... Continue reading ...
It only took all summer, but the Rocky Road sliders I picked up from my buddy Kflips are finally back on Barney. They initially came off because they were making banging/squeaky/popping noises when the truck went over dips/bumps/potholes and it was really making me uneasy.
I had the truck in for some warranty work a while back, and while there I had the tech take a look at the mounting holes. Well, it appears that the "installer" who put the AMP steps on my truck back in the day used the w... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Monday, August 1, 2011,
In :
This and That
Today my fiancee and I checked out our first wedding venue, and as a man, I obviously had a completely lovely time and enjoyed every moment of our wonderful tour in the hot sun. :) :) :)
Within a few minutes of pulling into the parking lot, I actually had a few rural-Vermonters asking questions about my truck, (which I obviously obliged).
Ok, to be perfectly honest, it wasn't that bad to go and look at a wedding reception venue. The place was a very pretty barn in a pretty pretty rural area of... Continue reading ...
Saturday was a big day in the life of my favorite Hummer forum. In response to a multitude of external factors, the future of CHO was put in doubt, and the current moderators and admin decided before all was lost to redirect the forum to a new domain: Hummer 4x4 Off Road. This new forum is the most current and updated version of the old skin CHO was using, which kept all the old features and added some new ones.
I have also relinquished my position as Club Secretary in favor of a "promotion... Continue reading ...
Sheesh, I title an alarming amount of posts with a rhyming scheme. I must be, like, Dr. Seuss' long-lost nephew or something...
Anyways, so I was finally able to install the Rola rack that I bought waaay back when and I am neither extremely impressed nor unimpressed with the look. Well, let me put it this way...it's no GOBI, but, it looks better than something you might buy at Walmart. The rack is visually appealing, and is fairly heavy and sturdy. I think it looks great on the truck; that... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Saturday, July 9, 2011,
In :
This and That
With the recent warranty work I've had done, I grew curious as to just exactly when my warranty was up. I thought it could be as early as this fall (I was under the assumption that the bumper-to-bumper was 3/36) but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I'm good for 4/50 and that means I'm all set up until April '13 -- and what's more is that my powertrain is good for 6/100 and that will put me up through 2014.
Posted by on Thursday, July 7, 2011,
In :
This and That
...And destroyed his front end. Yes, unfortunately I was rear-ended by an overzealous Pontiac GTO yesterday on my way home from work in rush hour traffic. The first bit of good news is that nobody was hurt. The second bit of good news is that there is not any noticeable major structural damage to Barney's behind. (There is a bit of a gap difference on the rear bumper/tailgate from one side to the other that I wasn't aware of beforehand, but that may be neither here nor there.) And the la... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Thursday, June 30, 2011,
In :
This and That
So I recently decided to take the truck into the shop because I'm experiencing a few wear-and-tear issues. First, my driver's side mirror shakes pretty darn violently at highway speeds which makes it difficult to look at. They are going to cover that, but the tech mentioned that it could be due to the "aftermarket" convex mirrors I added to them. Honestly. I couldn't make that up. I told him that if a 1 ounce stick-on mirror from Big Lots is considered an aftermarket accessory, I'd eat m... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Saturday, June 25, 2011,
In :
This and That
Man, if I ever didn't appreciate the amount of time that my old man spends at work, I sure do now. Working full time just destroys my free time and will to type even more after the day is done. Between my fiancee and pick-up basketball, I've little time to spend on the web. ...And most of the time I spend on the web is either on CHO or eBay. But alas, I digress -- here is another post just catching up!
I cannot remember the exact date, but I just recently rolled over 16,000 miles on Barney... Continue reading ...
Posted by Hans Mertens on Monday, June 13, 2011,
In :
This and That
Time flies when you're having fun!...or working 40+ hours a week... And while I'm actually glad to have a job to complain about on occasion, I'm not glad that I've somewhat neglected my personal vow to post at least once per week. So I must apologize to you all (haha..."you all") and just try and continue to post as much as I can.
So...what is new, what is new? To be perfectly frank, not much. I have been commuting 30 minutes (twice per day) to Burlington for my internship, and I really do... Continue reading ...
Wow, it is hard for me to fathom, but as of yesterday, I have now had "Barney" for a full year. And as of the 26th, Hans3T has been active for a full year. (In fact, I just renewed the domain for another year. woot woot!) Not to brag, but I'm really proud of myself. I have had over a thousand hits (probably double that, since I only put up the hit counter about 6 months ago) and have been fairly consistent with my posts -- that is to say at least one post per week for the most part. And ... Continue reading ...
Sometimes wheeling is not as easy as it sounds. Saying something like "Hey, I'm going wheeling" can give those with untrained or spoiled ears an impression of ease, equivalent to saying something like, perhaps, "Hey, I'm making some Kraft mac'n'cheese".
For those lucky enough to live near, or within, vast rural areas with few land laws or off-road friendly legislature, the act of "going wheeling" can be nearly as easy (albeit more expensive) than making a box of "the cheesiest". For some, like... Continue reading ...
Posted by Hans Mertens on Wednesday, May 25, 2011,
In :
This and That
Caught this shot on my way into town the other day. Not one, not two, not three...not four...but FIVE Sonoma red metallic (or close imitations) are in this shot! I was amazed. Unfortunately, none of them responded when I showed them the secret sign "The Portrayer of Purple" that all owners of purple trucks are taught at the time of delivery. Drat!
Posted by on Monday, May 16, 2011,
In :
This and That
Don't you just love rhyming post titles? No? Well tough noogies, because I do and I am King of this blog! King?I suppose curator, enforcer, editor, postmaster, or Arch Duke would have suited me as well. But hey, this blog is for fun. King this week, Arch Duke the next. Whatevs.
Ok, well after that delightful dose of silly, allow me to comment on the post title: I am done with school and have rolled home for the summer. I must say, it is nice to be back. The nearly-12-hour drive was ... Continue reading ...
Yes, Hans3Teers, Barney is up for May 2011 Ride of the Month on Club Hummer Off-Road! I was both surprised and honored to have been nominated (and have my nomination seconded). I was not sure at first that I wanted to take on the rigors of campaigning, but after a talk with a CHOmie of mine, he persuaded (or as he said, "[I] persuaded myself") to accept the nomination and begin campaigning.
Welcome to the world of CHO campaigning. Appease the fans, and you will survive. It's a lot like...
Posted by on Tuesday, May 3, 2011,
In :
This and That
To a point, anyways... (More on that in a moment.)
What is AutoPalooza? you are asking yourself. The aptly-named AutoPalooza is a small car show that a fraternity on campus puts on every year to raise money for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. (On an side note, my campus is one of the top RfL schools in the nation -- so it is a big deal here!) It hits home for me as well, as my mother is a survivor. I have participated in Relay here at school every year since I was a frosh, a... Continue reading ...
My mother, sisters, and girlfriend (respectively) are all big fans of the AMP power steps that I have on my truck. See how that sentence is in the present tense? Well, it's wrong. Let me try again.
My mother, sisters, and girlfriend (respectively) were all big fans of the AMP power steps that I had on my truck.
That's much better. (For me and the T, anyways.) Today, after spending the night at my sis' place in DC, I made the quick hop, skip, and jump to NoVa to visit a CHOmie, kflips. He h... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Monday, April 18, 2011,
In :
This and That
Today I am going to reward those of you who read Hans3T on a semi-regular basis with some "insider" news. I know, I know -- I'm sure you can barely contain your sheer excitement! mild interest...
For those of you who occasionally steer clear of the societal norm of driving on pavement -- and let's face it: if you're reading this blog, chances are you do -- you may recognize the manufacturer Rocky Road, out of the Moab, Utah. Anywho, they make rock rails. Expensive rock rails. Well, expens... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Tuesday, April 12, 2011,
In :
This and That
Photoshop is a hobby, HUMMER is an obsession (duh!), and dragons are my fascination-de-jour.
Okay, I'm not really sure how to explain this one. Let's just say that I have an overactive imagination and leave it at that. I'm kind of obsessed with dragons too. I don't know why. It all happened when I found this incredibly gaudy t-shirt at a thrift store depicting two dragons fighting one-another in a dark, lightening-filled sky...I was perplexed at why such a ridiculous shirt even existed;... Continue reading ...
This evening I returned from the record-setting CHO event at Rausch Creek Off Road Park in Tremon, PA. Of the 30 trucks that confirmed on CHO and Hummer Forums, 28 (I believe) showed up for at least one day, which was truly a sight to behold. It was such a sight, that I want to share it with you all!
(Yes I can count...some of the trucks were off in a separate group, but we got the majority for this photo-op. Not bad, eh?)
I ended up only driving my T on Saturday, because Sunday was a ... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Friday, March 25, 2011,
In :
This and That
The Rumsey Monument was erected (grow up, guys) in honor of the inventor of the steam ship. I think that it just makes for a cool photograph. It is only a couple of minutes from campus, so I decided to pay it a visit today. An American icon posed in front of a statue honoring an American icon. The liberty is tangible.
Sorry for the low-res photo...I sort of drove there on a whim and didn't have my camera with me.
If I have learned anything from television and film, it is that every tough guy has a heart of gold. Danny from Grease, Fonzie from Happy Days, Jake and Elwood from The Blues Brothers -- and the list goes on and on.
"You're point, Han3T?" you may be asking yourself. Rest easy you inquisitive bunch, my point is that even though my emblems may look mean and gruff on the outside, I can assure you under that 2 millimeters of black vinyl sticker is a bright, shiny core of plastic-ey chrome.
With a fraternity camping trip in the not-so-distant future, memories of contorting myself into the bed of my T my last time at Sleepy Creek haunted my psyche and gave my back phantom-pains. So, instead of manning-up, I decided to ask my good buddy Nascar Jim if I could have some carpet removed from his brother-in-law's home. He had plenty to spare, and so we cut a piece as wide as the bed is and then nip/tucked the carpeting into a more-or-less H3T bed shape. (I think there was probably b... Continue reading ...
Posted by Hans Mertens on Wednesday, March 16, 2011,
In :
This and That
This image is going to hurt me more than it hurts you, I promise. Unless you drive a Hummer too. Or are gainfully employed. Or any combination of the two. And let's face it: If you're reading this, the odds are good that you are. Anyways...my girlfriend came down for spring break this year, and while I am overjoyed (I know I often use italics to be sarcastic on this blog, but in this case it is expressing the utmost sincerity, promise) for her to be here in WV with me, my geographically... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Tuesday, March 8, 2011,
In :
This and That
This morning, as I sat on the campus shuttle waiting to be groggily-carted off to class, the glorious sunshine was showering down through the troposphere. I saw a flash of metallic paint, and my gaze was drawn to a sight I have been waiting to see for some time. That site? Proof, once and for all, that Barney...err, my T is not purple!
Observe, if you will, Exhibit A:
As you can clearly see (through the low-resolution of my phone's camera), the Toyota is undoubtedly purple -- my T is obviou... Continue reading ...
Remember that time I talked about how I put a gas cap on and then didn't have pictures of it? Well, just because I appreciate you Hans3T enthusiasts sooo much, I decided to upload one crappy picture for you! No, I don't have a bad attitude...the picture just isn't that exciting. I realized that after I uploaded it. I guess a gas cap just isn't as exciting as it sounds. (Go figure...)
But hey, it's not all bad -- see, there's some mud...and uh...at least the gas cap isn't chrome! It is... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Tuesday, February 22, 2011,
In :
Hans3T
C'mon, let's face it. It was inevitable. You know it, I know it, the world knows it. Hans3T needed facebook. I mean, a site that pulls as many hits per month as mine does deserves another outlet for my creativity. The world needs more Hans3T! I mean, I'm so grlppptt...ahem, I am so greatthhhhhlptpttt. Sheesh, okay, okay... (Let me get my tongue out of my cheek -- it makes it difficult to speak.)
Alright, well in all seriousness, the thought donned on me this weekend and I figured since... Continue reading ...
Boom. Some of you may remember that back in January I got a BA bumper. And if you don't remember, where have you been!? I'm proud to say that today was a big day for Hans3T -- I got to spend another day with my CHOmies at Muddy Acres, and I made two steps towards the ultimate blackification -- a black fuel door and my BA bumper. To be completely honest with you, I am bushed and I'm not in a typing mood....so this monumental day in the history of Hans3T will be honored with a relatively br... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Saturday, February 19, 2011,
In :
This and That
Hans3T is coming to you live from the living room couch at Muddy Acres this evening. Are you excited yet? I can tell that you totally are.
This afternoon Nascar Jim helped 'ol Hans3T load the BA bumper into the T, which proved to be a bit of a conundrum (read: pain in the ass). The sleek and stylish slantback is not very welcoming of abnormally-shaped loads, like a *wait for it* BA bumper; so, it took some jimmying around to find the best solution for the 100 mile trip north to the Acres. ... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Sunday, February 13, 2011,
In :
This and That
Today was a typical Saturday at school. I was rather bored this afternoon (because, gee willikers, I finished all my homework!) so I decided to go out and see what I could do with the T. I quickly decided it was much too chilly, complements of 40mph gusts, to wash or wax the truck, so, I thought I would quick check the tire pressure on the four corners.
My old man gifted me a set of metal valve caps around the time I got my truck, and they really were nice. They're the kind that has a lit... Continue reading ...
Today I installed the RAD-1 digital inclinometer that I bought in a group buy from Expedition Hardware via CHO. (If that isn't enough hyperlinkage for you, try this.) Rock'n'roll Van Damme aside, I was thrilled to finally get the darn thing out of its box and get it on my dash. I haven't toyed around with any of the settings yet, but it did fire right up when I plugged it in to make sure it was in working order.
Posted by on Friday, January 28, 2011,
In :
This and That
Today after class, a buddy and I went out for a short jaunt in the 8-10" of snow that fell last night here in WV. We went to what I refer to as "Tennis Mountain", which is a relatively steep hill-climb on a gravel road with tennis courts at the top. It was virgin snow, as I was the only person to attempt (or think of it, anyways) the "feat". Ok, I mean, it's a gravel road, sure...but still...it was kinda adventurous. Anyways, here ya go:
Posted by on Monday, January 24, 2011,
In :
Hans3T
Some of you Hans3T faithful (Hi Mom!*) may have noticed a site visitor counter on the bottom of the homepage. I added this because...well, I could. As admin, I am allowed to see site traffic per week, however, I wanted to have a rolling tally of how many visitors we have the site. So, now you know. I put it up on January 20th, and since then I've had a little over 20 visitors. I'm content with that. I'm not trying to rival Google or anything like that.
Posted by on Wednesday, January 19, 2011,
In :
This and That
Tonight I purchased a used 2007 H3 skid plate, as the BA bumper will only work with model year 2006-07 skid plates. I was able to make a deal with an eBay seller I've purchased through before outside of eBay, saving him seller fees, and saving me $35. Since it is a take-off from an '07, this skid plate has the "H3" emblem embossed on it. For some reason 2007 was the only model year to do that. Peculiar -- I think it looks good. I'm sure GM had a wonderful answer as to why the stopped. (... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Monday, January 17, 2011,
In :
This and That
As some of you frequent readers poor saps may recall, I have been working over the past couple of weeks to try and land a brush guard for the T. That investigation was all for naught, as the Hummer gods have smiled down upon me from the great junkyard in the sky, and I have landed a Boulder Accessories front bumper/brush guard combination.
Just three days ago, a member on CHO posted a BA bumper in the for sale section, and nearly instantaneously a mad-dash for rights to purchase it ensued. ... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Thursday, January 13, 2011,
In :
This and That
After continued contact and investigation with the seller in my previous post, I was able to determine that the guard he was selling did not look like the picture I posted -- it looked just like the OEM guard. Booooring. I was afraid that was going to be the case, as the brackets where the guard attaches to the truck were wrong in that photo, and I figured it was just a stock photo. You would think sellers would want to advertise what they're actually selling, but I guess that is sooo 1990... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Thursday, January 6, 2011,
In :
This and That
I've wanted a brush guard since day one, and I've spent that kinda money on a few other things instead as opportunities presented themselves (i.e. powdercoated wheels, Superchips...). Browsing this evening on eBay, I found my ideal style of brush guard:
I sent the merchant a message to make sure it looks exactly like this. Too often I've seen a cool picture listed for a brush guard, but then upon questioning the version made for the H3 looks like junk. I'll keep my fingers crossed on t... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Wednesday, January 5, 2011,
In :
This and That
Today was begun with an interview for a summer internship at an exceptionally well-performing Vermont business. Once spring rolls around, that opportunity may become realized -- until then, must simply bide my time. The interview went very well, and I could really see myself enjoying an internship (and even eventual full-time employment) at this business. My point in sharing this is that the day started on a high note. ...Then I got bored because it was cold and I was somewhat tired from ... Continue reading ...
Didn't quite understand the title? ...I can't say I blame you. Sometimes I try too hard to be creative. It's a blessing and a curse...or something. Anyways!
For months I have wanted an AUX input for the truck so that I can directly plug my Zune into it, because to be frank, radio transmitters are garbage. I did my research and bode my time and finally settled on the APAC-GMC2, which offers two auxiliary inputs for my truck -- which is perfect -- one for my Sirius radio and one for the Zun... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Sunday, January 2, 2011,
In :
This and That
This past couple of weeks I have been driving in the coldest weather I have had the T in, and it has had some negative effects on my mileage. I am not sure if it is the arctic temperatures, copious amounts of snow, or pounds of melted-and-re-frozen ice on my truck that is to blame, but I know one thing: 40 miles on a quarter tank of gasoline is a big pile of ass. (Pardon my French. [Who ever started that phrase? I can't think of one commonly used swear word that is of French origin. In f... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Saturday, December 25, 2010,
In :
This and That
No Mods For Christmas
No, there aren't any Nitto's under the tree, nor is my stocking stuffed with an ARB. Santa must have forgotten the 4" Rancho Lift, and my wish-listed GOBI is gonna get stiffed. No brushguard with lights will be topped with a bow, and an elf-crafted Warn winch will surely not show. Can you believe that the reindeer left my black p-coated wheels at a CHOmie's in Philly? Plus the thought of Gramma gifting me $350 H3T-specific taillight guards is just plain silly. Yes, the mods this ... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Tuesday, December 14, 2010,
In :
This and That
Today, my third full day back home, I awoke to find an all-too-familiar scene outside -- about 8" of the white stuff. However, this phenomena was new for the T. It seems like every contour of the Hummer holds snow...which I guess being a huge block is not overly surprising. So, after a few quick phone pictures (and 20 minutes of sweeping and scraping the truck) I had it out on the road. The T drove as solid as I expected it would, and I felt like the road conditions had little effect on m... Continue reading ...
Posted by Hans Mertens on Friday, December 10, 2010,
In :
This and That
This semester, I took a course entitled "Principles of Management", and as part of our syllabus we were required to write a paper on a pertinent management issue related to a real world situation. (I'll give you all three guesses as to a large focus of my paper...) The assignment consisted of a paper "of a length that appropriately covers the topic" and a one-on-one question and answer session with my professor, who also happens to the the business department chair.
Posted by on Friday, December 10, 2010,
In :
This and That
...School attempts to ease the "pain" of finals week with super-duper-fun events like "make a street sign", and you proudly show the student body that you keep a blog on the truck you drive. I think what we have here is a classic win/win. I already had the "baby T", it's just added for effect.
Wow, that post title sounds somewhat dirty, but it is accurate, so I'll allow it. No sense arguing with myself...again. If you haven't guessed by now, today was my last day of finals, and therefore I finally had some time to myself. Ok, you may not have guessed that, but what you may have actually guessed was that I finally got my color-matched rear bumper inserts stuck onto the Hummer. (Sorry for the cell phone pic...better images to come.)
Posted by on Monday, December 6, 2010,
In :
Hans3T
This weekend was a big one for all of us just me at Hans3T: The odometer now displays 5 digits as opposed to 4. As the sun set on Friday evening, I took it upon myself to photograph the momentous occasion on my cell phone as I climbed mountainous hills through the Pennsylvania heartland. What was I doing in the Keystone State? I was on my way to Muddy Acres of course -- and how fitting that my truck would turn 10...thousand...as I drive to visit my good buddy, Muddydawg? (Pic of the grea... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Sunday, November 28, 2010,
In :
This and That
After spending a week away from my truck (Thanksgiving break at home), I was relieved to be back in the drivers' seat today as I made my way from Reagan Int'l via Metro to my sisters' in DC, then from there back to school via Hummer. My joyous reunion wasn't even expunged after I put $65.50 into the gas tank on the way to school. No, some joys in life are everlasting. One of them, at least for me, is Sonoma Red Metallic. Even when you miss your girlfriend more than anything, the allure of... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Thursday, November 18, 2010,
In :
This and That
A while back (nearly two months ago) I took it upon myself to find inserts for the "HUMMER" embossed on my tailgate. I know they make OEM chrome ones, but I'm trying to de-bling the truck (and I'm doing pretty well, I might add!) and not spend $150. So, after a little investigating, I found a willing vinyl manufacturer in Vancouver, Canada of all places. The initial talks were rocky to say the least. The maker was a little brash...but, once he got his attitude in check, he told me before ... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Thursday, November 18, 2010,
In :
This and That
This past weekend I went to visit my sister in DC. Hoo, what an experience driving a big truck in the wild city was! It made me appreciate living in the "country", that's for sure. I did get plenty of looks, which was cool. I was not expecting city-folk to appreciate seeing a Hummer, but I didn't have any problems. (Thank God!) Anyway, here's a pick of the Washington Monument I took from the truck, and a pic of the teeny-tiny parking lot I had to squeeze my way into.
Last week I saw a brand-new set of OEM H3 seat covers on eBay, and as I typically do with things that catch my fancy, I put in an early bid with 6 days left on the listing. Today, after a bit more bidding, my original high bid held strong and I won the set (two captain seats and a bench seat cover). I figured they'll be good to put onto my seats when I go wheeling so that the dusty RC trails stay off of my nice leather seats. Am I being overly protective of the T? Well, maybe...but it's m... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Monday, November 8, 2010,
In :
This and That
...It was muddier than it was dusty, but whatever! Anyways, this weekend Hans3T headed out with some of his fraternity brothers and (attempted) to go camping at Sleepy Creek Mountain in West "By-God" Virginia. And by attempted I mean we stayed from 3 pm to 3 am. It hit a chilly 30 degrees, and with some members bringing limited cold-appropriate clothing, a general consensus was reached in the twilight hours to pack-up and get the heck home early this morning.
Posted by on Friday, October 29, 2010,
In :
Hans3T
Ok, so it may not be your favorite blog, or even in your top ten favorite blogs. Ok, that post title is misleading. It should read: The Official Mascot of Who Gives a Crap? Hans3T. Regardless, every cult-followed-blog-on-some-kid's-Hummer-website needs a mascot. That, unlike the post title, is not debatable.
Picture Credited to Paparazzi_on37s His name is Senor Hoppy, and I love him. "Is that a frog in a cowboy hat?!" you are asking yourself. Absolutely not. It is a sombrero -- get... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Sunday, October 24, 2010,
In :
This and That
Saturdays on campus are either hit or miss in terms of finding something eventful to partake in. In what became a bittersweet Saturday yesterday, the extremely smart and handsome staff of Hans3T found himself doing homework and watching Youtube videos for hours on end. Every good friend I have was either home for the weekend (my dorm room is still empty as of this hour) or enjoying the nice weather with a girlfriend, so I was strapped to find something to do.
Posted by on Saturday, October 23, 2010,
In :
This and That
After an attempt to purchase the exact same roof rack from the exact same seller months back fell through (could not settle on a purchase price), Hans3T practiced something it often has trouble doing for an accessory: I politely withdrew my interest from the item and prepared to (and did so...see: all other accessory purchases) move on.
This past week Hans3T learned a semi-valuable lesson: Patience is a virtue. Not only was I able to pick up a a brand new Rola rack for the T, I know had b... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Sunday, October 17, 2010,
In :
This and That
In a crazy twist of fate, a CHOmie recently found a set of double powder-coated flat black OEM H3 wheels with matching powder-coated center caps (pictured below) and sent me the link to the seller: Bonehead Performance -- an auto shop just outside of Philadelphia. I instantly knew I liked the wheels but was skeptical as to my acquisition of them -- and let's be honest...Bonehead Performance isn't exactly a name I could trust at first glance. The asking price of $400 was steep at initial fi... Continue reading ...
With the addition of black mirrors and handles, a CHOmie with an extremely blacked-out truck reminded me that I needed a set of black powdercoated handle surrounds from Real Wheels. I remember wanting a set from day one, but was put off by the retail cost of $350. During the summer, I searched eBay night and day for a few weeks and found nothing; however, the spurring by the aforementioned CHOmie peaked my curiousity and I checked out eBay and saw a set listed for $150 starting bid...well, ... Continue reading ...
Here are some pictures from our recent run to RC! A few CHOmies and I decided to have a small get together this weekend, and boy am I glad we did! What a blast -- a small group, I learned, has advantages. We got around a LOT more of RC than I have ever experienced with a large group. Plus, I was with the greatest group of CHOmies I know, so that was nice as well. Anywho, here's the pix:
Hat tip to Paparazzi_on37s for the shots!
More pictures of my truck (and others) available her...
This weekend, with the help of Hummeron37s, I was finally able to transplant the black mirrors and handles I bought back in July on the T and get rid of some more of that Chrome Appearance Package. It was a rather unnerving occasion, as the process involves some strong-arming (read: flagrant bashing) of handles and tactful prying (read: ape-like pulling) of mirror glass. In the end, the results were well worth the cringing. The black parts are literally a thousand times better looking. Pu... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Sunday, September 26, 2010,
In :
This and That
This weekend was a busy one for Barney and friends Hans3T: Friday, I left WV to make a 2pm tire appointment at National Tire & Battery where my T had a brandy-new 33" Bridgestone Dueller A/T mounted and balanced where my steelie-spare had been for the past (almost) month. But, in typical Hans3T fashion, the process could not go smoothly. The tire was taken care of with Nascar-pit-like-speed, however the TPMS reset took nearly an hour and a half. The hard-working NTB folks simply would not... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Thursday, September 16, 2010,
In :
This and That
Any of you Hummer owners/enthusiasts may remember the results of a study of the most ticketed vehicles in America. Remember how the Hummer narrowly beat out the Scion tC? Well I had never seen a ticketed Hummer...until last Wednesday.
My T has a unique attribute. No, not the purple Sonoma Red Metallic paint -- I'm talking about the SnugTop. Well, as those of you who have seen one in person will know, unless you're over 6 feet tall you cannot see the rear "window" on the top of the slantba... Continue reading ...
Whew, say that three times fast: "Seatback backpacks!" ...Yeah, I know: Impossible.
Anyways, I recently bought a pair of "Hummer Integrated Seatback Utility Packs" off a CHOmie who, unfortunately, sold his H3 and was parting with some accessories. I gotta say, I am very impressed with them. Initially I was skeptical that they would fit well or clip in sturdily, but, they are snug and hold probably 5 times as much stuff as the factory "nets" do on the back of the front seats. On top of th... Continue reading ...
A week has passed since Hans3T and company made it back from the 2nd Annual CHO Labor Day Run at Rauch Creek ORV in Tremont, PA.
This was the 4th or 5th time I have personally been to RC, though it was the first time I wheeled my truck there. I have to say, we had an absolute blast. Fifteen Hummers, representing nearly a decade of the brand, came out to do what these trucks were made to do: Wheel.
Day one got off to a great start, but was met mid-day with a punctured sidewall on my rear pas... Continue reading ...
Today I leave for the inaugural visit of my truck to RC -- and the 2nd Annual CHO RC Labor Day Run! I personally have been to RC four times now as a spectator, although I have driven some other generous CHOmies' rigs for some brief stints; however, for the first time in my life I can wheel MY truck ALL day at RC!! I am very much excited to say the least. According to my roster on CHO, we've got 18 trucks coming -- everything from H1 to H3T! Unfortunately, one of my better friends from the... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Monday, August 30, 2010,
In :
This and That
So my RC compilation video from this past spring has recently hit 1,000 views! What does this mean? Well, nothing really. I don't give a hoot about "views" like some Youtubers. I'm just glad to spread the word of CHO and the Hummer brand in a positive way.
If you haven't seen the video, check out the Club Hummer Off-Road page on Hans3T and enjoy!
I hope to make another video after this weekend's trip....that is if I'm not too busy wheelin' this time! ;)
So I spent most of the weekend at Muddy Acres and Stan and I installed the UCP, rear Hunner skids, and changed my oil. We also put on my marker guards. We skipped over the front Hunner skids because Stan didn't think his welder was powerful enough...so those will go on another day. Regardless, I am now feeling very ready for Rausch Creek this weekend. Pix to come soon... Continue reading ...
Ok, it's been about 5 days since I initially unboxed my Superchips Flashpaq 2865. This is going to be a very informal review for now because it hasn't been completely smooth...
The sweet: To be honest, at first I couldn't tell a difference between tuned and not tuned. Problem was the 87 octane fuel. So I filled up on my way to my buddy's in PA with 93 octane (which is 2 octane higher than the Superchips recommended 91 octane) and was finally able to tune the T to "perfomance" mode. Well, ... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Sunday, August 22, 2010,
In :
This and That
I recently asked a good friend what he thought of the Superchips Flashpaq. He straight-up told me not to buy a Flashpaq -- that it was garbage -- but I read so many positive reviews online (albeit a few negative ones were in the mix) that I decided to remain steadfastly stubborn (read: obsessive compulsive) and take my last paycheck from this summer and pony-up the Benjamins for the Superchips 2865. I ended up getting a $25 off deal on it from RealTruck.com. Along with my 30-day return per... Continue reading ...
So I haven't posted in a while...Why? A message was sent to me last week that the server that hosts Hans3T was attacked maliciously by cyber-terrorists and that the servers were down. Fortunately, these pirates of the web were unsuccessful in their attempt to deteriorate the websites themselves, the only real damage was that the servers were slowed down to a point of being useless. It is now fixed and I am back at it again. Good for me, bad for you I suppose.
Posted by on Monday, August 16, 2010,
In :
This and That
So yesterday and today I spent a good deal of time in Pennsylvania with my good friend Muddydawg. He and his family graciously offered to host me as a waypoint on my way from VT to WV. Muddy Acres is set in a mountainous region of southern PA and was really a good time. I will post more on it in the near future, as I am exhausted from moving in today... Stay tuned.
Posted by on Saturday, August 7, 2010,
In :
This and That
This week I was finally reunited with my laptop once more, this time with the promise of functionality. After a few days of casual use, it seems to be handling well. Time will tell. But alas, this is not HPdv90003T, it is Hans3T! So what is new on the Hummer?
Well, about 600 miles and a lot less gas I suppose. Last weekend I went with my girlfriend to Lake Winnipesaukee in NH for a little mini-vaca. We rented jet skis, then spent the night and next day in Manchester. It was a nice time ... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Saturday, July 31, 2010,
In :
This and That
I recently stumbled upon a cache of Hummer branded flashlights, which I have made available for sale to my CHOmies and HF members. (CHOmies get a better price -w00t w00t!) I'll be making about 2 gallons of gas on each sale, but it is a labor oof love, not one of capital gain. I wanted these to go to enthusiasts who would fully appreciate them, so I spent a considerable portion of a paycheck to buy them and hope to break even and maybe fill my tank up once for my trouble. :) Here's a deal fo... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Saturday, July 24, 2010,
In :
This and That
Yesterday my AirDoc arrived. I bought it for a 50% discount off of a Hummer Forums member. He had it installed on his truck for a month before he ended up trading the truck in, so I felt comfortable buying it second hand. It arrived in pretty good shape; a little dusty but mechanically sound. It didn't have instructions unfortunately, but after contacting Doc at AirDoc's Intakes he emailed me a .pdf of the instructions in no time.
As per AirDoc's recommendation, I was tasked with pairing t... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Wednesday, July 21, 2010,
In :
Hans3T
I am proud to announce that Hans3T is co-sponsoring t-shirts to be sold to raise money for a hospitalized CHO member with no health insurance. For more information, please click here. Contact Hummeron37s for details on where Paypal donations can be sent.
Posted by on Wednesday, July 21, 2010,
In :
This and That
So yesterday I went to Moe's to get a burrito. I pulled in to see these idiotic signs reserving three parking spots up front. Obviously, I couldn't not park there. Quite a few people walked by and stared at the truck, probably thinking to themselves, "Heyyy, that's not a hybrid!"
I didn't know a burrito joint could be so "earth friendly"...I think if they were really concerned with that sort of thing, they would have carved the signs out of something renewable, like wood, as opposed to using ... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Tuesday, July 20, 2010,
In :
This and That
I know I havn't posted in a while...where to begin...
Ok, well my laptop is in the "shop" for some warranty work -- it kept randomly entering sleep mode and I can't have that happening once I get back to school. Something about due dates and zero late work accepted pushed me to get it looked at.
Speaking of warranty work: Shearer Hummer, err, Chevy has decided to treat my Hummer as if I were a local customer, which means that all Hummer warranty work can be done there now and I won't have to ...
Posted by on Monday, July 12, 2010,
In :
This and That
For all of you faithful Hans3T readers, I have decided to reward your loyalty with a sneak preview at the next unapproved, stealthily-bought, "Well, no Dad, I don't know who's box that is!" mod for my T. You won't find this info on CHO...or this gear on my truck for a couple months:
And I never thought checking eBay daily would pay off... ;) I finally got a set of OEM black door handles and mirrors. (Now I have two sets of black mirrors.) I'm geting a little closer to the Dark Side every p... Continue reading ...
I have had troubles attempting to find an appropriate/functioning mounting area for the antenna; the roof wouldn't work, the bed rails wouldn't work, and the slantback pretty much destroyed all other options. So, I decided to man-up and build one. Well, fab one. I think "building" involves bricks and mortar or something. This is just some scrap metal and ingenuity. :P
And with that alliterative title, let us move on to the meat of this post: A few weeks back I got the okay from Papa Hans to purchase a second hand OEM truck box for the T, and today it finally arrived. I bought the box for $200 from Lil' Dave on CHO -- a deal when compared to the $500-800 they go for online.
It looks great and should offer some good storage space for smaller things (air compressor, car care items, tools, etc.) It isn't as voluminous as I expected, but I'm still happy to ... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Friday, July 9, 2010,
In :
This and That
The ex-Hummer dealer here, Shearer Chevrolet, just refused to honor my warranty work (the previously mentioned squeaky brake and blown speakers) because they no longer sell Hummers and I didn't buy mine there. So, I drove 20 miles in traffic for nothing and burned 2 gallons round trip. They couldn't have told me this on the phone before I drove there, huh? Dammit.
On another note, they did direct me to my nearest Hummer dealer.......DePaula Hummer in Albany, NY -- 200 miles away. Eff. ... Continue reading ...
This week I worked on a little project to replace my stock chrome center caps with a "brushed aluminum" set of plastic caps I bought on eBay. I painted them flat black with Krylon Fusion paint, and left the "HUMMER" on each cap silver. I like how they turned out a lot. The OEM wheels were pretty bling-bling, but I feel like this tastefully dulls them down some and gives my truck a unique look compared to other H3 wheels.
How did I avoid over-spray on the embossed "HUMMER"?, you ask. Well, ... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Wednesday, June 30, 2010,
In :
This and That
Today I had a "live chat" on hummer.com with a representative wondering about where I can have warranty work done on my truck, since our Hummer franchise closed about 2 years ago in Vermont. I was told the nearest dealer was 130 miles away in Albany, NY. I told the rep I was not going to drive 130 miles to have warranty work done, and told her that Shearer Chevy used to sell Hummers. She essentially told me that I could try asking them, but that she couldn't guarantee that they would take ... Continue reading ...
Ok, so today I got the Sirius installed no problems. It sounds decent, it isn't as aesthetically displeasing as I thought it would be; I'm happy.
The Cobra 75, on the other hand, was not installed by the tech at Geek Squad because he couldn't figure out a way to mount the antenna on the roof rail like I wanted. So I'm pretty bummed about that. Now I have a wonderful CB radio that I simply cannot figure out how to set up. I got a few ideas from my CHOmie, Hummeron37s, but an idea alone will... Continue reading ...
I'm scheduled to drop my rig off at Best Buy Geek Squad Wednesday at 10am. I can't wait to have my goodies installed. Pix to follow... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Tuesday, June 29, 2010,
In :
This and That
Today I was driving to the gym and there was some road work. The sign-holder dude gave me a big thumbs up not only on my way to the gym, but on my way back as well. I stopped for milk on the way home, and the clerk in the station asked me what "that" was. I told her it was an H3 Truck. She was amazed that such a thing existed and asked if it could haul. I told her I hadn't hauled anything yet, but the T had hauled me, my girlfriend and her, err...our suitcases all the way to New Jersey t... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Friday, June 25, 2010,
In :
This and That
The 4' Firestik antenna I ordered has not arrived and is scheduled to come the 28th, so I had to move my appointment from today to an indefinite period next week. So that has me annoyed, coupled with the fact I have to use the windshield mounted Sirius radio I've had for a few years. There is nothing wrong with it, but the windshield is small enough in the T, I don't need anything taking up even 5 square inches. I really wish I would have been able to use that GM1 tuner, but c'est la vie. ... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Friday, June 25, 2010,
In :
This and That
I recently purchased a Sirius SIR-GM1 satellite radio tuner to put in the Hummer. This tuner replaces the factory-installed XM tuner, and allows the Sirius to be controlled via my navigation touchscreen. Here is what I have discovered:
Never call Sirius for any reason other than vital account information. Call Crutchfield.
As a lifetime subscription member (graduation present), you are only allowed 3 transfers to different radios, i.e. changing from my windshield-mounted radio to the SIR-G... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Sunday, June 20, 2010,
In :
This and That
Okay, so I woke my college-student-butt up at the crack of dawn this morning with hopes of tag-teaming the Cobra install with my Old Man, but after around 400 million sketches and 10 miles worth of walking around the truck, Hans concluded that we had best take it to the Geek Squad and have it done there. It's not that he and I (well, primarily he) aren't capable--he just doesn't want take any chances on messing-up the new truck. I guess I'm happy with the conclusion. I was sort of looking ... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Thursday, June 17, 2010,
In :
This and That
So as some of you readers (all 3 of you) may be aware, I am looking to put a Flowmaster muffler on the T. Today I went to a local muffler shop and had the truck put up on a lift, because nobody seems to know the diameters of tubing used on the Alpha.
So what we discovered was the stock muffler is offset on both ends, the inlet is 3", and the outlet is 2.5". Well, Flowmaster doesn't make a muffler with those dimensions, so it looks like whatever I do, it'll have to be 3" in and 3" out, and th... Continue reading ...
Word on CHO is that a certain Club VP is looking to illegally produce Hans3T stickers and possibly t-shirts. I want to forewarn everyone that any merchandise items produced by Muddydawg are counterfeit and are not endorsed by hans3t.com.
That said, seeing as I am a student and have no disposable income, I have no way to combat Muddydawg's renegade sticker processing either. So...f*^#.....
Completely disregarding my last post, last week I went ahead and ordered a set of front and rear Hunner EXtreme skids from a Hummer entrepreneur on CHO. They came highly recommended, and I've seen pictures of the protection they offer. It seems like a worthwhile investment/insurance policy. Anywho, today they came in the mail. These leaf spring skids, coupled with the used UCP I picked-up from another CHOmie*, will prove I now have a steel clad undercarriage of withstanding doom and feroc... Continue reading ...
So yesterday while cheerfully listing the modifications I would like to make to my truck, Papa Hans reminded me that I cannot perform any "mods" to my truck until I graduate -- May 2012. His worry, I presume, is that I will sink all of my money into the truck and that I will spend all of my time working on the truck and shirking my studying.
I have the okay on "worthwhile" items such as: After market UCP, and (I'm assuming, though I have not revealed my purchase yet) Hunner EXtreme Skids. ... Continue reading ...
Yesterday I decided to take the "SnugTop" and "GM" badges off of my truck. Using some fishing line, Goo-Gone, and a little elbow grease, the entire process took about 20 minutes. Before and after pictures below:
It's not a huge difference, but it looks a lot cleaner and more, well, symmetrical to me. Whatever, it's my truck and I'll do what I want! ;)
Posted by on Wednesday, June 9, 2010,
In :
This and That
So the brake pedal boot is still squeaking after a week of driving. I figured it would cure itself, but no such luck. I fiddled around with the rubber boot way up under the dash panel a bit, and that worked for a bit; however, something is rubbing that rubber with a fury, and the squeaking is putting me into one.
I hope to take it to my local (once upon a time) Hummer dealer and see what they can do about it. I guess we'll see what comes of it.
Today I put in my DayStar dash panel. Install took literally 30 seconds. It should help with storage, since for some reason the huge H3 has literally no storage containers.
I also vacuumed out the T and washed it today. It's too sunny and hot out for me to wax and buff out the little clear coat scratches I got on the trail, so that will be for another day. I have never had a vehicle where you need a step ladder to wash the roof, but welcome to the world of Hummer I guess. I'm not compla... Continue reading ...
After only having my truck for around four days, I already had the itch to take it into its natural habitat. Thankfully there was a CHO event planned for Wharton State Park in New Jersey, and I made sure to take full advantage of my first wheelin' opportunity. (See my homepage for my favorite photo!)
I had a blast. I learned a lot about my skill level and about my truck's capabilities. I had a great time wheelin' with great people, and I am already looking forward to CHO's next event. See ... Continue reading ...
Since Hummer neglected to...err, excuse me, "made an oversight" in putting a fuel economy computer in the dash, I am forced to keep my fuel economy records the old-fashioned way...sort of. I am completely obsessed with knowing what I get for economy. Don't get me wrong, I know I drive a big truck and I should expect big-truck-mileage: I don't care if it's 10 or 50 mpg -- I just gotta know. Now you know. Ok. Good. Moving on.
I have the Samsung Moment, a Google Android phone. What does t... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Monday, June 7, 2010,
In :
This and That
What better way to break in my new (to me) truck than to drive 1,000 miles the first week I own it? My inaugural journey was visiting some family in New Jersey for three days, then hitting Wharton State Park for a day of wheelin', then finally zipping back to Vermont. I just got back this evening after leaving early Wednesday. Not a bad first week at all.
The truck drove wonderfully; I cannot put it any other way. It is night and day difference from the Blackura, my late 1996 Acura SLX. I... Continue reading ...
Posted by on Tuesday, June 1, 2010,
In :
This and That
So the truck finally came on the 29th. I was sitting at dinner and my sneaky father took a call which was apparently our delivery truck. He calls me out and lo and behold my truck was sitting alone atop the 18-wheeler. The driver goes to unload the truck and after setting the alarm off and opening the SnugTop and trying to RAM the key into the door lock, he comes to me with a puzzled look on his face and says the key won't work (in very broken English). I ask if I can try, and he obliges.... Continue reading ...
With fresh news of getting my Hummer, I have decided to dedicate a webpage to it and all of my endeavors. Hans3T offers me a sort of combination journal/scrapbook to keep track of my Hummer from pre-delivery until the day I die. (Because I will more than likely keep this truck that long.) Look for more to come on not only my Hummer, but anything else Hummer related that peaks my interest. Ok, enough typing -- back to working on getting this site up-and-running. Continue reading ...
Chances are if you're here you know me, or at least know of me on some level. Basically, Hans3T was started as a "journal" of sorts for my truck, which I took delivery of in June 2010. (Luckily, I don't track the amount of money I've spent on accessories.)
My goal for Hans3T is to entertain readers, offer my thoughts and opinions on Hummer-related topics, and to keep the spirit of the Hummer brand going strong.
If you're reading this, thank you for your support! Hans3T is a non-profit website. (Unless you count self-satisfaction as profit.) You readers make Hans3T all the more enjoyable for me!
Chances are if you're here you know me, or at least know of me on some level. Basically, Hans3T was started as a "journal" of sorts for my truck, which I took delivery of in June 2010. (Luckily, I don't track the amount of money I've spent on accessories.)
My goal for Hans3T is to entertain readers, offer my thoughts and opinions on Hummer-related topics, and to keep the spirit of the Hummer brand going strong.
If you're reading this, thank you for your support! Hans3T is a non-profit website. (Unless you count self-satisfaction as profit.) You readers make Hans3T all the more enjoyable for me!
